THE HELSTOm 37 



The Helstone is a Neolithic dolmen consisting of nine 

 menhirs about 6ft. high out of the ground, surmounted by a 

 cap or table-stone lO^ft. long, 6ft. wide and 2\ii. thick all 

 rough natural sarsens devoid of tool marks. Hutchins stated 

 that the under part of the table-stone seemed roughly chiseled; 

 but I cannot see any tool marks, not even of stone hammers. 

 The gentlemen who restored or rather rebuilt the dolmen 

 have not I think rerixed the uprights as they should have been; 

 for it was customary when one of the surfaces of a stone was 

 fairly flat to place that side inwards, but some of these have 

 been re-fixed edgeways like a slice of cake. 



As this dolmen has been already described in three articles 

 in our Proceedings I shall briefly recapitulate the various points 

 raised. 



The 1st article by the then editor, the late Professor 

 Buckman, appeared in 1878." It was accompanied by a 

 rough illustration together with that of a similar one in the 

 Morbihan for comparison. He stated that the stones were 

 derived from the local sandstone of the tertiary formation, and 

 pointed the resemblance to dolmens in the Channel Islands. 

 A very excellent illustrated article in Archceologia, Vol. LV, on 

 dolmens in Japan, proves that they also resemble ours. 



At Long Bridy there is a very large menhir 10ft. high, called 

 Hell-stone; there is another near Cerne; and a town in 

 Cornwall (Helston) bears the same name. It has been 

 thought that such stones were dedicated to "Hell" the 

 goddess of the dead. Others derive the name from A.S. Hele, 

 to cover, or from Halig, holy. 



The 2nd article by the late Mr. E. Cunnington appeared in 

 1893,t and he was of the opinion that this had been a long 

 barrow. The dolmen was rebuilt by the late Mr. Manfield 

 about 1866. 



The 3rd description, printed in 1908, was by the late Dr. 

 Colley March, t and was illustrated. 



* D.F.C. Proceedings, Vol. II, 104. 



t Ibid, Vols. XV. 52-54; XVI, 175-177. 



J Ibid, Vol. XXIX. pp. Ixxv-lxxviii. 



